David Gallop’s set of six

Date: November 13 2012

Six key issues facing the new Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop.

1. UNITING FOOTBALL COMMUNITY

It remains the elephant in the room and has for decades now been football’s greatest challenge. The game’s footprint is as large as any sport and boasts participation numbers that crunch the competition. So why haven’t they been consolidated into a unified force? The game’s popularity cannot be questioned but the failure to transition that participation into mainstream interest remains a huge problem. Unlike Ben Buckley, David Gallop needs to immerse himself in the game on a personal level. He must listen and learn from the coalface rather than from the slew of advisers on whom Buckley leant too heavily, reinforcing the feeling that he, and therefore the FFA, could never bond with its wider constituency.

2. CHASING THE BIG TWO

Once a distant fourth in the battle between the codes, there’s every argument to suggest the game has eclipsed rugby union in terms of national interest and is closing the gap between itself and rugby league and AFL. Of course, nobody will expect Gallop to put his new code on the same plane as his old paymasters but that’s not what is being asked. His mission must be to consolidate the game’s present growth and become the nation’s clear No.3 football code – with a clear vision for how it can eventually challenge the nation’s two most popular spectator sports. Regression or stagnation of any kind would be catastrophic for the game, not to mention Gallop’s own career as an administrator.

3. A-LEAGUE EXPANSION

One of the great tragedies of the A-League has been the hit-and-miss expansion program. Clubs in Auckland (technically a foundation club), North Queensland and Gold Coast have all folded but all show the potential to be long-term football markets if the game is prepared to re-engage. Wollongong, a hotbed of football for decades, remains an obvious market, while comprehensive due diligence should be undertaken to investigate if places such as Canberra, Geelong and Tasmania hold long-term potential. The FFA needs to invite cities and regions around the nation to argue why they should be included. A third team in Melbourne or Sydney remains unlikely to be considered during Gallop’s leadership cycle.

4. SPEND THE TV MONEY WISELY

When the impending $40 million-a-year deal is done, it’s the first time football will have a ‘‘war chest’’ to spend on its own backyard. True, it’s not much compared with NRL and AFL but the running costs are much lower, too. Ben Buckley once promised that the television money would pay for each club’s salary cap, and this deal finally ensures this can happen. Player wages can rise but it need not be a huge jump – they get paid well here but it can’t compete with the money on offer in Europe and Asia, and nor should it. The importance of investment in elite youth development must be made into a higher priority as it ultimately provides every level of the game with a considerable long-term boost.

5. SAVING THE THE SOCCEROOS BRAND

Although it remains the best thing going for Football Federation Australia, the Socceroos are flirting dangerously with their once wholesome brand. Previously among the most humble of Australian sporting teams – which made them so endearing in the first place – the publicity seems to have robbed the organisation of its humility. They need an immediate reality check to ensure the next generation knows that it’s an honour to represent Australia but never their divine right. While countless ex-players and even some in the FFA are unhappy about it, it might need Gallop – whose modesty within rugby league circles was appreciated – to intervene.

6. SUSTAINABILITY

By their very nature, sporting clubs should not seek to make big profits. But that doesn’t mean they can be fiscally irresponsible, either. Each A-League club needs to be run on a workable model but that might require an initial investment to make each club self-sustainable. Central Coast are on the verge of making that jump, and Gallop’s job should be to encourage other clubs to follow their lead. If that means Whitlam Square has to offer the occasional support of funds or personnel, so be it. A time should come soon when no A-League owner fears that running a club will take a major personal toll.

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